Q&a / Charlotte de Fayet on transforming fine knitwear brand Molli

What has it been like entering the Hong Kong market with Rue Madame?

Ariane [Zagury, founder of Rue Madame] has curated French brands and a clientele we target: women wanting pieces that are different from what you see everywhere. Definitely in Hong Kong we have this working woman looking for pieces that are easy to wear, easy to mix and match, easy to live in because they’re comfortable but elegant at the same time. That was the purpose of relaunching [Molli]: to help women get dressed in five minutes in the morning because they have a busy agenda. Our clientele is very much lawyers and CEOs seeking timeless corporate pieces, but with a twist.

What are the challenges in relaunching a historic brand?

I bought the brand because I was a fan of its knits. They were for babies when I bought it, but in the beginning, they were underwear. That’s how knits [first] appeared in the ready-to-wear market. I have a marketing background and was interested in the storytelling. Molli is full of stories; it has a strong identity. What was difficult is that fashion needs something impressive and eye-catching. Molli’s heritage – as a brand centred around babies [and, before that,] underwear – had no colour; it was [very subtle].

So I had to play with that – add something to make the brand more fashionable, lovable, desirable. I’ve always said I won’t do jeans or whatever because it’s not the purpose of the brand. But with knits, you can do anything you want – dresses, trousers, jumpers, tops, T-shirts. The reason why maybe many brands are suffering is that their range is too broad. Molli does not target the whole world but it offers a strong and accurate [approach to] wardrobe, because I had this history, this DNA, which made me [precise].

French brands are perennially popular – what about French style is so chic, timeless and enduring?